The printing of metal container bodies typically involves the interaction of a number of machines, namely one or more inkers, a blanket wheel assembly, and a spindle wheel assembly. Each inker includes a plurality of successive, interconnected/interfacing rollers (i.e., adjacent roller bodies engaging at least intermittently) which ultimately provide a desired film of ink of a given color onto a printing plate positioned on a rotating plate cylinder. The printing plate has raised portions thereon coinciding with the desired design (a reverse image thereof) and transfers such design onto a blanket positioned on a peripheral portion of the rotating blanket wheel assembly by direct contact therewith. The inkers are thus circumferentially spaced and attached to the periphery of the blanket wheel assembly such that each inker transfers its specific design onto a given blanket during rotation of the blanket wheel assembly. Once the full design (i.e., all of the colors to be used for a given container body) is positioned upon a blanket by the inker(s), the blanket is rotated into engagement with a rotating container body positioned on a peripheral portion of the rotating spindle wheel assembly to transfer the design onto the container body.
As can be appreciated, printing defects on container bodies either enhances material costs (i.e., if identified the container body is scrapped) or affects the consumer's perception of the manufacturer (i.e., if the printing defect is not identified prior to distribution and the consumer thereafter identifies the defect). Consequently, it is desirable in either instance to reduce the amount of such printing defects. Although there are a plurality of potential sources for printing defects, a significant portion of such defects are attributable to ink slinging from the various rollers of the inker during operation.
When the inker is operated at production capacity, its rollers are rotating at a relatively high speed and thus there is a tendency for ink to be propelled away from the surfaces of such rollers. In the event that any structure of the inker is positioned within the area through which this ink may be propelled, ink may collect on such structure and thereafter be deposited upon, for instance, the printing plate in an undesirable/uncontrolled manner (e.g., dripping). As can be appreciated, this will produce a printing defect on the container body. Therefore, in order to reduce the potential for these types of defects due to such ink slinging, it would be desirable to remove as much of the inker's structure from this area as possible without adversely affecting the operation of the inker.